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Boris Johnson responds to coronavirus treatment
(CNN) - Britain's Prime Minister has been able to "take short walks" after he left the intensive care unit at a London hospital where he has been treated for coronavirus, a spokesman said on Friday.
"The prime minister has been able to take short walks, between rest periods, as part of the care he receives for his recovery," said the Downing Street spokesman.
"He has spoken to his doctors and thanks the entire clinical team for the incredible care he has received," added the spokesperson. "His thoughts are with those affected by this terrible disease."
Workers have been building a fence in recent days to block the view of the ambulance driveway at St Thomas Hospital in London, where Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is being treated for coronavirus. (Credit: AP Photo / Matt Dunham)
Johnson, 55, is "just beginning his recovery" and "continues in a very good mood," his official spokesman said on Friday.
The spokesperson added that the prime minister waved to staff when he was transferred from the intensive care unit to a room at St Thomas Hospital on Thursday night.
Johnson remains in the hospital and will follow the advice of his medical team, the spokesperson said, but there are no plans for him to go to Prime Minister Checkers' rural retirement site.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will continue to replace him.
- READ: Boris Johnson leaves intensive care
Johnson's spokesman said Thursday that the prime minister "would be closely watched during the initial phase of his recovery," but that he is "in a very good mood."
Johnson spent three nights in intensive care and received "standard oxygen treatment," according to his spokesperson, but did not require mechanical or invasive ventilation.
The Prime Minister was taken to the hospital last Sunday because he had "persistent" symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive. His condition deteriorated and he was transferred to intensive care on Monday, causing a wave of shock throughout Britain.
The severity of Johnson's condition in a time of national emergency, combined with the lack of a formal succession procedure for government leaders in Britain, raised questions about who led the country.
Politicians around the world wished the Prime Minister a speedy recovery, including the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who sent his "best wishes to a very good friend of mine and friend of our nation" during a press conference.
Raab: Johnson asked me to lead in his absence 6:38By Wednesday, Johnson's spokesman said he was "clinically stable and responding to treatment."
Rishi Sunak, Britain's finance minister, said at the Downing Street daily news conference Wednesday that Johnson was "sitting up in bed and interacting positively with the clinical team."
The Prime Minister's partner, Carrie Symonds, who is pregnant, also experienced symptoms of covid-19, but noted over the weekend that she was "recovering."
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- Carrie Symonds (@carriesymonds) April 9, 2020
On Thursday night, Symonds posted on Twitter a picture of a rainbow and clapping hands emojis, to show his support for that day's regular applause in Britain for healthcare workers.
The country will review its containment measures next week, but the restrictions are unlikely to be eased in the near future, and Johnson's spokesman said government advisers will decide when the peak has passed.
The nation is beginning to see a flattening in coronavirus cases, but it is still too early to make clear the suspension of social distancing restrictions, NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said on Friday.
Speaking to Sky News from South London, Powis said: “We are hoping to start seeing a flattening. But we must continue to comply with the instructions. That is how the flattening will turn into a descent. ”
CNN's Lauren Kent contributed to this report.
Boris Johnsoncovid-19 Intensive Care Recovery
